1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for a touch interface in a portable terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling an application through a simple touch input after setting a command for controlling functions of the application according to an area touched by a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Use of a portable terminal has rapidly and widely spread because of its portable convenience. Accordingly, a service provider and a mobile terminal manufacturer have competitively developed the portable terminal having more convenient functions.
For example, the portable terminal provides functions of a phone book, a game, a scheduler, a Short Message Service (SMS), a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), a broadcast message service, an internet service, an e-mail, a morning call, an MP3 player, a digital camera, and so on.
Further, a portable terminal including a touch screen, which can receive data through a user's hand or a stylus, has been developed. Using the stylus, it is easy and convenient that a text is written or a line is drawn in the portable terminal.
The portable terminal including a touch screen panel receives coordinate information of user's touch input thereon. For a user, the portable terminal including a touch screen provides more convenience compared to another portable terminal having plural key pads or buttons.
That is, a user using the portable terminal including the touch screen panel can input a message or execute an application through a simple touch input.
Recently, various touch input methods are provided for controlling overall operations of the portable terminal. For example, if a region is enlarged/reduced after two another regions positioned diagonally are touched, enlargement and reduction of an image may be possible.
However, in the method described above, it is required to touch two regions and the portable terminal should provide a multiple touch screen panel supporting simultaneous touches at two regions. Thus, the above method is inconvenient and limited for use in the portable terminal.
That is, the method described above is restrictedly applicable to a portable terminal supporting a multiple touch input. If a portable terminal having a conventional touch screen simultaneously receives touches at two regions, a touch input error may occur.
Accordingly, to address the problem described above, an apparatus and a method for controlling a portable terminal through a simple touch input are required.